Childe Yui to the Dark Tower Came
by cloviskarling
Summary: The members of the Amusement Club share a very peculiar dream.


"So this is it, huh?"

Yui's voice sounded tense as she looked upon the forbidding landscape around her. On all sides the craggy range of mountains, twisted into the likeness of two bulls locked in a fight, gleamed luridly crimson under the dying sun. Behind her stretched desolate miles of blighted land. And right in front the fearsome Dark Tower loomed, black and ominous, against the horizon.

Unconsciously she took half a step back, gritted her teeth, and forced herself forward resolutely. _No, I can't back away. I mustn't._

Her hand clenched around the sword-hilt by her side. Taking a deep breath, she shouted:

"Kyouko!"

Utter silence. A cool breeze breathed across the land, causing the violet curtain by the window at the top of the tower to flutter.

A pretty face framed by long blonde hair poked out from the curtains.

"Hey! Oh, it's Yui!"

Yui blinked. Kyouko continued grinning happily down at her.

"K-Kyouko?" she called out, sounding a trifle uncertain.

"Good morning!"

"It's evening."

"The weather today is lovely, isn't it? How was your day?"

"It's fine, thank you. Er…" Somehow the conversation wasn't going the way she expected.

"So Yui, what brings you all the way out here?"

"Why am I…?" A grey fog clouded her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head sharply. "Kyouko, I'm here to rescue you! We have to get away from this place, before—!"

"How exciting! A knight in shining armour riding to my rescue."

Yui looked down and realised she was wearing a suit of chainmail that reached her hips, covered by a silk surcoat of red and gold. She blinked again. _How did I get into this ridiculous costume…?_ Even as that thought drifted across her mind she heard herself replying, "I walked here, actually."

"So noble of you! What chivalry!" Kyouko gave no indication of having heard her. "You're going to make me swoon. Hey hey, do you want to see me swoon?"

"No." _Focus, focus!_ "Kyouko, do you know how I can get up to where you are?"

"Sure! Climb the golden stairs."

"What are you talking about? What golden stairs?"

Kyouko grinned and swung her head, letting her long flaxen hair hang down the windowsill. "You're supposed to climb up to the tower using my hair. That's how the story went, right?"

"Yeah, that sounds incredibly painful." There was a pause. "And besides, in the story when the princess let down her hair it actually reached the ground."

"Sorry, sorry. How silly of me." Kyouko pursed her lip as she frowned in thought. "My hair is no good…? All right then, maybe I'll get you the rope ladder instead. Hang on." Her head disappeared and Yui was left staring up at the limply drooping curtain.

 _How did I get here? Actually, what was I even doing before this?_ There was something very, very strange about this whole affair, but exactly what felt wrong Yui could not put her finger on. Or rather, the entire thing felt wrong. _Almost like a, like a…_

"I'm back!"

Kyouko's head reappeared, this time hugging a mass of brown rope under her chin. She threw this out and a formidable length of rope ladder unrolled down the side of the dark tower until its tip just grazed the sandy ground before Yui's feet.

Yui reached out to grab the ladder and gave it an experimental touch. It was quite secure. "Hey, Kyouko… If you've had this ladder with you all along, why didn't you let yourself out?"

"It's because I'm ensorcelled!" Kyouko explained cheerfully. "Trapped here by a force far stronger than I can resist. That's why you find me a helpless damsel in distress, see?"

"Right. I'm coming up, okay?"

"Perfect. Just in time for tea."

Kyouko retreated back into the Tower, leaving Yui once again gaping at the violet curtain.

 _Well…. That's Kyouko for sure._

Sighing, she grappled the rope ladder until it was steady, hooked one foot onto the first rung, and began to climb.

When Yui reached the top of the Dark Tower she was panting, sweating and her legs were quivering under her like jelly. _It's a miracle I didn't f-f-fal…_ She resisted the probably fatal temptation to look back down and, with a final spasm of will, hauled herself over the windowsill to collapse inside the room

"Oho! If it isn't Funami-san!"

Yui clambered a little shakily to her feet. "Kyouko, you can at least pretend to be worri…" Her voice trailed away, as did her feeling of annoyance.

Dressed in full princess regalia, complete with a diamond tiara, Kyouko is sitting behind a mahogany table, sipping from a delicate china teacup in her hand. A faint delicate fragrance of tea permeated the room. Rich tapestries covered the breadth of the walls, and more dresses than Yui had ever seen filled the gigantic wardrobe behind Kyouko. In a corner stood a four-poster bed with canopy, strewn with pillows.

Kyouko crossed her legs and placed her teacup back onto the saucer with a gentle clink. "What a pleasant surprise. How nice of you to drop by, Funami-san. Would you care for a spot of tea?"

"Why are you suddenly speaking like a society hostess?"

"A true princess is always a society hostess wherever she is, Funami-san. Even when she happens to be trapped inside a dreadful prison by a dismal spell."

"Dreadful prison – _this_?"

"It'd be a waste to let the tea get cold." Kyouko gestured at a second teacup-and-saucer on the desk opposite her. "It really is very good tea, you know."

As if in a trance Yui walked over to the empty chair and sat down. She raised the teacup and touched it to her lips. The hot liquid scalded her tongue, but in a good way. She inhaled deeply and sighed. Kyouko was right, this really is very good tea…

 _Wait, this isn't what I'm supposed to be doing._

"Kyouko!" Yui lunged forward, making her friend start. "We have to get out of the Dark Tower!"

"Eh? Why? So soon after you've arrived?"

"Because, because…" Yui hunted around for the reason. It was not forthcoming. "Because it's bad for you. You're trapped here, that's why."

"Of course I am! By a force far stronger than I can resist, right?" Kyouko nodded solemnly to herself.

"What's the force you're talking about, Kyouko?"

"You see, Yui…" Kyouko sighed and rested her cheek on the back of her left hand. "Chinatsu-chan, the witch who is the mistress of the Tower, she…"

"She?"

"She…"

"She _what_?"

"She's the cutest, prettiest, loveliest girl I've ever seen!"

"Ah."

Yui leaned back.

"She has fluffy purple hair and large round eyes and the cutest cute voice and, and…" Kyouko almost shivered in happiness. "I'm going to stay in the Dark Tower with her forever, Yui. But I guess you can join us if you like."

"I wouldn't like that, and you shouldn't either." Deciding Kyouko wasn't ensorcelled by any serious magical charm, Yui simply got up and dragged Kyouko to her feet by the collar of her dress. "Come on, we're getting out of this Tower before your Chinatsu-chan finds out I'm here."

"Oh, boo, Yui, you're no fun." Kyouko pouted, but did not resist. "Chinatsu-chan knows you're here anyway."

Yui froze. "She does?"

"Certainly. The rope ladder just now specially detects for intruders. Chinatsu-chan told me she can sense someone the moment they step on it."

Yui stared at her in horror. Kyouko stared back perfectly happily. "In fact, I can hear her coming up now! Let me introduce you."

At the very moment the door was flung open and a young girl strode into the room. Aside from the fluffy hair and large round eyes described by Kyouko, her dress, a purple pointed hat, white shirt and short purple skirt, completed a rather striking ensemble. In her hand was a pink star-tipped wand, held outstretched like a sword.

"Kyouko-senpai, don't move! As for you, intruder…" She spun towards Yui. Their eyes met, and Chinatsu's cheeks turned bright pink. She shuffled her feet and looked down. "Uh, um…" Chinatsu peeked up shyly under the brim of her hat. "H-Hi?"


End file.
